Flames tear through Lizana home

LIZANA, MS (WLOX) - Fire crews battled a blaze early Wednesday morning in the Lizana community. The homeowner of the trailer on B J Pittman Road said he woke up around 4:30 a.m. because of a lot of smoke.

"My whole house was full of smoke but I didn't see any flames," said Keith Burton. "Then I ran in the back bedroom and saw the flames engulfing everything."

Harrison County Fire Chief Pat Sullivan said the house had smoke detectors but they did not work.

"In this case, the trailer was full of smoke when the homeowner woke up. That means the fire had progressed," said Sullivan. "If the smoke detectors were functioning, they would have alerted this family sooner."

Burton managed to get everyone out of the trailer including three people and three dogs.

"It was a very dangerous situation and could have been a tragedy but luckily they woke up in time," said Sullivan. "We don't want to depend on luck to get people out of a burning house. Smoke detectors are a proven way to ensure safety."

Firemen are still putting out hot spots at the property. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.